1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a rechargeable battery module that is capable of improving contact resistance characteristics between an electrode terminal and a bus bar and improving heat generation characteristics at a contact surface between the electrode terminal and the bus bar.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable battery differs from a primary battery in that it can be repeatedly charged and discharged, while a primary battery is incapable of being recharged.
A low-capacity rechargeable battery is generally used in small portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, notebook computers, and camcorders, while a high-capacity rechargeable battery may be used as a power source for driving a motor of a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, etc.
The rechargeable battery may be used in small electronic devices as a single cell battery, or in motor-driving power sources, etc. as a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are electrically coupled.
As an example, a rechargeable battery module may be formed by connecting electrode terminals of unit battery cells with bus bars.
Contact resistance is formed between the electrode terminal and the bus bar that contact each other, and the contact resistance generates heat (e.g., resistive heating due to electrical current flowing through contact resistance at the contact location).
As such, as the heat is generated at a contact surface between the electrode terminal and the bus bar, the life-spans of the unit battery cells and the rechargeable battery module deteriorate, and the rechargeable battery module may stop operating due to a high temperature protection feature.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.